CT 2025 final: Why no Pakistan presence on the podium

The 20-day, 15-game Champions Trophy came to a close at Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), with India lifting the trophy. However, a sour note was left by Pakistan, who complained about the absence of a representative from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the hosts of the tournament, at the presentation ceremony.

"India have won the Champions Trophy, but I noticed something rather strange. There wasn't a single representative from the PCB on the podium, even though Pakistan was the host of the tournament. I can't understand why no one was there to represent the country. It's beyond me to even think about. There should have been someone on this world stage. Unfortunately, I didn't see any PCB members out there," Shoaib Akhtar said in a video posted on social media.

The fact is that no elected member of the PCB was present at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, despite being the hosts of the tournament. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not travel to Dubai for the closing ceremony. Instead, the PCB sent Sumair Ahmed, the tournament director for the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy, as their representative.

But it is understood that protocols did not allow to have employees on the podium where only the elected members or directors of the board were present - Jay Shah, ICC Chair, Roger Binny and Devajit Saikia, the president and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and New Zealand Cricket director Roger Twose - were present.

There was, in fact, another tournament director, Andre Russell, who was in charge of the Dubai leg of the Champions Trophy. He was also not called to the podium where only the office-bearers or directors were present.